Forum for Science, Industry and Business

Optical Gyroscope-on-Chip for Space Applications

21.03.2013

EU-FP7-SPACE-Project MERMIG successfully launched

IHP announces the successful launch of EU-FP7-SPACE-Project MERMIG. The project underlines the strategic importance IHP perceives in space applications to support regional and European industry. MERMIG extends existing research and development activities for space applications to space-qualified opto-electronic technologies.

In the pilot line of the IHPIHP

Therefore, IHP and 6 European partners initiated a 3 year initiative financially supported by the European Program FP7-SPACE, with the objective to develop a silicon integrated optical “gyroscope-on-a-chip”.

Space system vendors seek for solutions to deliver small size and cost-effective sensor systems to “de-congest” satellite payloads, drastically reduce the equipment cost and open the possibility for new generation of micro-payload systems. MERMIG aims to provide this technology replacing current expensive, bulky, heavy and power-consuming fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs).

To address these key challenges, MERMIG invests in the right mix of silicon photonic CMOS-compatible component fabrication and nano-imprint lithography laser fabrication. Both technologies are being adopted by the terrestrial telecom market and MERMIG will develop them for bringing their unique advantages into space sensor systems.

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